diff --git a/gnu/packages/check.scm b/gnu/packages/check.scm
index 9a88a8d873..a38abf0b5b 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/check.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/check.scm
@@ -485,13 +485,14 @@ test coverage and has a web user interface that will refresh automatically.")
     (version "1.8.0")
     (source
      (origin
-       (method url-fetch)
-       (uri (string-append "https://github.com/google/googletest/archive/"
-                           "release-" version ".tar.gz"))
-       (file-name (string-append name "-" version ".tar.gz"))
+       (method git-fetch)
+       (uri (git-reference
+              (url "https://github.com/google/googletest.git")
+              (commit (string-append "release-" version))))
+       (file-name (git-file-name name version))
        (sha256
         (base32
-         "1n5p1m2m3fjrjdj752lf92f9wq3pl5cbsfrb49jqbg52ghkz99jq"))))
+         "0bjlljmbf8glnd9qjabx73w6pd7ibv43yiyngqvmvgxsabzr8399"))))
     (build-system cmake-build-system)
     (arguments
      `(#:configure-flags '("-DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON")))
diff --git a/gnu/packages/crypto.scm b/gnu/packages/crypto.scm
index 038db8f488..2f7ea3ba8b 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/crypto.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/crypto.scm
@@ -208,9 +208,9 @@ OpenBSD tool of the same name.")
          (add-after 'unpack 'unpack-googletest
            (lambda* (#:key inputs #:allow-other-keys)
              (mkdir-p "vendor/github.com/google/googletest")
-             (invoke "tar" "xvf" (assoc-ref inputs "googletest-source")
-                     "-C" "vendor/github.com/google/googletest"
-                     "--strip-components=1")))
+             (copy-recursively (assoc-ref inputs "googletest-source")
+                               "vendor/github.com/google/googletest")
+             #t))
          (add-before 'check 'make-unittests
            (lambda _
              (invoke "make" "unittests"))))))
diff --git a/gnu/packages/gnucash.scm b/gnu/packages/gnucash.scm
index 84b244cdd9..342df650aa 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/gnucash.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/gnucash.scm
@@ -105,8 +105,7 @@
          (add-after 'unpack 'unpack-gmock
            (lambda* (#:key inputs #:allow-other-keys)
              (mkdir "gmock")
-             (invoke "tar" "xf" (assoc-ref inputs "googlemock")
-                     "-C" "gmock" "--strip-components=1")
+             (copy-recursively (assoc-ref inputs "googlemock") "gmock")
              (setenv "GMOCK_ROOT" (string-append (getcwd) "/gmock/googlemock"))
              #t))
          (add-after 'unpack 'set-env-vars
diff --git a/gnu/packages/graphics.scm b/gnu/packages/graphics.scm
index 11158bdfd1..e4a6ee8476 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/graphics.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/graphics.scm
@@ -366,21 +366,10 @@ exception-handling library.")
      '(#:phases
        (modify-phases %standard-phases
          (add-before 'configure 'pre-configure
-           (lambda _
-             ;; It expects googletest source to be downloaded and
-             ;; be in a specific place.
-             (substitute* "Tests/CMakeLists.txt"
-               (("URL(.*)$" _ suffix)
-                (string-append "URL " suffix
-                               "\t\tURL_HASH "
-                               "MD5=16877098823401d1bf2ed7891d7dce36\n")))
-             #t))
-         (add-before 'build 'pre-build
            (lambda* (#:key inputs #:allow-other-keys)
-             (copy-file (assoc-ref inputs "googletest-source")
-                        (string-append (getcwd)
-                                       "/Tests/googletest-prefix/src/"
-                                       "release-1.8.0.tar.gz"))
+             (substitute* "Tests/CMakeLists.txt"
+               (("URL(.*)$")
+                (string-append "URL " (assoc-ref inputs "googletest-source"))))
              #t)))
        #:configure-flags
        (list "-DOGRE_BUILD_TESTS=TRUE"
diff --git a/gnu/packages/terminals.scm b/gnu/packages/terminals.scm
index 3839aa1b52..2d46585865 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/terminals.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/terminals.scm
@@ -1042,8 +1042,8 @@ comfortably in a pager or editor.
          (add-after 'unpack 'insert-googletests
            (lambda* (#:key inputs #:allow-other-keys)
              (let ((tests (assoc-ref inputs "googletest")))
-               (invoke "tar" "xvf" tests "-C" "external/googletest"
-                       "--strip-components=1"))))
+               (copy-recursively tests "external/googletest"))
+             #t))
          (add-after 'install 'dont-provide-gtest-libraries
            (lambda* (#:key outputs #:allow-other-keys)
              (let ((out (assoc-ref outputs "out")))